Monday, December 3, 2012

I think I have a fudge curse. I haven't tried to make fudge in awhile because my last attempt saw me slaving away over the stove, sweaty and stiff-armed from stirring a pumpkin fudge that absolutely, resolutely refused to reach soft-ball stage. For anyone that's counting, that's 235-245 degrees on a candy thermometer.

When I came across this cute recipe recently, I thought it might be an easy way to ease back into fudge since it required NO stovetop time, and only microwaving. Easy as it sounds however, I guess this recipe didn't realize that I'm cursed. Despite microwaving the sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate chips for at least 4 minutes, these chips Would. Not. Melt. I ended up smashing most of them with the back of a spoon to get as close to a smooth consistency as possible.

Next, this recipe calls for three teaspoons of vanilla. 3. Not as much of a big deal if you're using grocery store, imitation vanilla. But if you're someone that likes to use thegoodstuff, this could get expensive. My problem wasn't cost so much as the fact that I only had brown vanilla extract, rather than clear. So, instead of having a nice, white cake look I had more of a beige/ecru/off-white cake look.

Finally, despite the picture I saw along with the recipe, the final product only makes a rather thin layer of fudge so, if you're looking for thick slabs of country-style fudge, you'll want to double the recipe. Oh, and in the end, it only sort of tasted like cake batter.

I always wonder whether to post recipe failures or not, but I figure it helps to show that not all the food you see online comes out perfectly the first time, and not all of us have the time, money and resources to continually throw out and remake recipes until they're just the way we'd like them. Or maybe I'm just cursed.

1. Pour milk and white chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for
2-3 minutes, or until white chocolate is almost completely melted. DO
NOT OVERHEAT. Stir until completely blended, melted, and smooth.

2. Immediately add vanilla and almond and combine thoroughly. Add a handful
or so of rainbow sprinkles and fold in quickly, because they will melt
(and if they are stirred for too long they’ll turn the fudge an ugly
muddy color).

3. Transfer to an aluminum-foil lined 8×8 inch baking pan for very thick
fudge, or a 11X7 pan (recommended). Let set at room temperature or in
the refrigerator.

4. Once set, cut into cubes (and peel off the foil!). Store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place.

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About Me

While I have no pretense that this blog should ever approach anything that could be compared to the likes of "Martha" and/or "Stewart," this collection of recipes and observations on my life in Washington, DC and beyond is for anyone that likes to bake simply for the joy of it and is looking for new and fun dessert recipes, reviews and a place to share.